Whiffletree.



ATTORNEYS WHIFFLETREB.

APPLIOATION IILEDIEBA, 1910.

Patented Sept. 6

WITNESSES:

THE uunms PETERS cm. WASHINGTON. B-c.

UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

DAVIS HURD, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

WI-IIFFLETREE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVIS Hone, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved WVhifiletree, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to whifiietrees for use in attaching draft animals or the like to different kinds of vehicles, and has reference more particularly to a-device of this kind comprising a bar or whittletree body having means for attaching it to a doubletree or to another part of the vehicle, means for attaching at the back of the bar, the ends of the traces or tugs, and means for removably locking the ends of the traces in position.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durable whiflletree, to which the ends of traces or tugs used in harnessing draft animals can be attached, which can be manipulated with ease and rapidity to attach and detach the traces, and which is so constructed that the ends of the whittletree do not project beyond the ends of the traces, and thus cannot cause injury to plants or the like.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a erspective view of an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section showing means for attaching a trace; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, rear elevation showing a detail.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide a bar or swingletree body 10, fashioned from wood or other suitable material, and having the ends rounded to the back of the body. The bar has means for attaching it to a doubletree, consisting for example, of a U-bolt 25. Adjacent to the rounded ends, the bar has U-shaped brackets 11, pivotally mounted thereon by means of bolts or rivets 12, extending through vertical openings 13, and through registering openings in the sides of the brackets. The latter, at the back, have extensions 14, provided with registering openings 15, adapted to receive keeper pins 16, provided with Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 8, 1910.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910. Serial No. 542,663.

heads 17. Between the extensions 14, the brackets have recesses 18.

The traces 19 are provided with traceeyes 20, of any suitable form and attached thereto by means of spaced ends 21, having pins 22, usual manner. The trace-eyes have reduced necks 23. Disposed inwardly from the brackets, the bar 10 has mounted thereon hooks 24, each adapted to receive a trace-eye as is shown most clearly in Fig. 1, to attach the traces to the bar. The eyes extend inwardly beyond the brackets and have the reduced necks 23 received by the recesses 18. The keeper pins 16, when in position, serve receiving loops of the traces in the to prevent the accidental or other displacement of the trace-eyes, and thus insure the attachment of the traces to the whiffletree.

The heads 17 of the keeper pins are laterally extended, and each has at one end an eye 26, to which is fastened a short section of chain 27, secured to the bar 10 by means of a pin 28, or the like, to prevent the accidental loss of the keeper pin. Spring looking members 29, have loops passing about pins 30, fastened to the bar, and have extremities laterally disposed and inserted in openings 31, of the bar. Each of the keeper pins has a 'notch 32, adapted to receive the free extremities of the spring locking members, to prevent the accidental displacement of the keeper pin. It will be understood that the spring locking members must be manipulated suitably, before the pins can be removed, to permit the traces to be detached from the whittletree.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A whiffletree, comprising a bar having rounded ends, hooks at the back of said bar, each adapted to receive a trace-eye, the traces extending around the ends when attached to the whiffietree, brackets provided with recesses removably receiving the trace eyes, and removable keeper pins extending over said recesses of said brackets, and serving to secure the trace-eyes in position.

2. A whiffietree, comprisingabar, brackets mounted upon said bar and extending rearwardly from the same, said brackets having extensions adapted to receive therebetween trace-eyes, hooks carried by said bar, each adapted to receive a trace-eye, and keeper pins removably carried by said extensions and serving to hold the trace-eyes in place.

3. A whiflletree, comprising abar, brackets mounted upon said bar and extending rear- Wardly from the same, said brackets having extensions adapted to receive therebetween trace-eyes, hooks carried by said bar, each adapted to receive a trace-eye, keeper pins removably carried by said extensions and serving to hold the trace-eyes in place, and spring locking members adapted to engage said pins to hold them against accidental displacement.

4. A Whitlletree, comprising a bar having rounded ends, brackets pivotally mounted upon said bar near said rounded ends and extending rearwardly from said bar, said brackets having extensions provided with openings, said extensions being formed to receive therebetween trace-eyes, hooks carried by said bar and each adapted to receive a trace-eye, keeper pins removably mounted in said openings of said extensions and serving to hold the trace-eyes in place, said keeper pins having notches, and spring locking members mounted upon said bar and engaging said notches to hold said keeper pins to prevent accidental displacement.

A Whifiletree, comprising a bar having rounded ends, brackets pivotally mounted upon said bar near said rounded ends, and extending rearwardly from said bar, said brackets having extensions provided With openings, and presenting recesses between said extensions, said extensions and said recesses being formed to receive therebetween and therein, trace-eyes, hooks carried by said bar and each adapted to receive a trace-eye, keeper pins removably mounted in said openings of said extensions, and serving to hold the trace-eyes in place, said keeper pins having heads, and flexible members for securing them movably to the Whiitletree, said keeper pins having notches, and spring locking members mounted upon said bar and engaging said notches to hold said keeper pins to prevent their accidental displacement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DAVIS HURD. Vitnesses J. inux11 OBRIEN, JoIIN D. CHAPIN. 

